Influence of Gas Prices

[884Fearless]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

Hi there,

I kind of know what you mean when comparing it to the price of a fancy coffee. The main difference being that most of us just drink one coffee at a time and not twenty.

The fact that it is $4.00 x 20 = $80.00 kind of hurts a bit more as it comes all at one time. I always remind myself that my retired parents over in England are having to pay out around $8.oo/gallon and have been doing since I was last there 2 years ago.

That's why my dad drives a turbo diesel VW Golf and gets around 45 m.p.g.

See, it could be worse....

It could be worse. We could be putting water in our gas tanks (Egads!) now that's expensive! $2 for 16 oz? C'mon!

Yes, it is easier to put in the plastic and get the double miles. I'm lucky though, I get right around 24 mpg and that is combined use (22 highway if I have my foot in the fuel injector...). I do alot of long road miles. Driving from here back home to Arizona though (twice) I got between 24-26 hwy.

My Diesel VW (Bug) gets 39 mpg. But diesel is outrageous right now.
Makes you wonder if the oil companies have a gripe with good mileage and penalize us for it these days.

Patte

[jims]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

My $1200 hush money check from G.W.B. will buy 20 tankfulls! That will keep me happy for 40 weeks!

[007Cruiser]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Philadelphia 76ers are in the playoffs for the first time in three years, but motorists were the ones celebrating on Friday.

For 76 minutes starting at noon, a gas station offered fuel for 76 cents a gallon in a promotion tied to the playoff series with the Detroit Pistons.

Hundreds of drivers began lining up around 6:30 a.m., some sleeping in their cars. About 100 cars made it through before the line was cut off.

"If gas keeps going up, I'm going to have to get used to walking," said JoAnne Baker, who was seventh in line. She drove from another part of the city - and bought $2 in gas just to make the drive - so she could wait in line for the cheap fuel.

Before the price drop, regular unleaded at the station was a fraction under $3.69.

[lmartun]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

The price of gas, which I am not thrilled with, is not going to stop me from enjoying open road, top dowm cruising.


LM

[bikebird]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

Still 4 dollars for a gallon of gas for the bird is cheap entertainment for me. What's cheaper is for me to ride my bike, but it is nowhere near the fun.

[JAB02LHS]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

Economy 1968
President:
Lyndon B. Johnson
Vice President:
Hubert H. Humphrey

Population:
200,706,052
Life expectancy: 70.2 years

Dow-Jones
High:
985
Low:
825

Federal spending:
$178.13 billion
Federal debt:
$368.7 billion
Inflation:
4.2%
Consumer Price Index: 34.8
Unemployment:
3.8%
Prices
Cost of a new home:
$26,600.00
Cost of a new car:
$2,8000.00
Median Household Income: $7,743.00
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.05 ($0.06 as of 1/7/68)
Cost of a gallon of regular gas: $0.34
Cost of a dozen eggs:
$0.53
Cost of a gallon of Milk: 1.07
If you look at the above prices gasoline is 10 X what it was, but so is almost everything else. Just wait till eggs go to $5.00/doz and milk gets to $10.00/gal

[RQTBIRD]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

Most of those prices increased over 40 years. Gas has sky rocketed in the past 5 years??

[JAB02LHS]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

Most of those prices increased over 40 years. Gas has sky rocketed in the past 5 years??

Yeah, it had some catching up to do.
Milk has skyrocket too in the last 5 years from $2.00/gal to $4.00/gal
All things catch up sooner or later.

Climbing to record highs, the cost of a gallon of milk has now surpassed the price of a gallon of gasoline.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts milk prices could reach $5 per gallon or higher by the end of the summer and stay there into the fall.

[RQTBIRD]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

John,

I don't disagree, it just seems more profit orientated (maybe greed) when it occurs so quickly.

By the way have you noticed on the road that some drivers have kept the foot off the gas pedal as they try to pick up speed from a red light? Gets frustrating if you are trying to make a left turn and it takes forever for the oncoming traffic to clear the intersection. They must be trying to conserve gas.

[JAB02LHS]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

John,
By the way have you noticed on the road that some drivers have kept the foot off the gas pedal as they try to pick up speed from a red light? . They must be trying to conserve gas.

They still have the petal to the metal it just takes those 3/4 liter gas saving engines a lot longer to move the fat arses driving them.

[V8 Cat]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

John,

I don't disagree, it just seems more profit orientated (maybe greed) when it occurs so quickly.

By the way have you noticed on the road that some drivers have kept the foot off the gas pedal as they try to pick up speed from a red light? Gets frustrating if you are trying to make a left turn and it takes forever for the oncoming traffic to clear the intersection. They must be trying to conserve gas.

Roger,

I've noticed the slow acceleration from red lights; especially from people driving big SUVs. If they are going to worry so much about gas consumption from those things, why don't they get something more economical to drive?

[FUN X 3]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

Set yet another new record today filling up the Bird- $61.00

[Steve Legel]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

Roger,
I've noticed the slow acceleration from red lights; especially from people driving big SUVs. If they are going to worry so much about gas consumption from those things, why don't they get something more economical to drive?

I don't think it's so very easy, to just up and change what you drive...maybe in a lease, no cash for downpayment, tight credit market, AND...might still have lifestyle that needs bigger vehicle (business, vacation home, boat and trailer, soccer & kids).

I wonder though...during the late 70's gas crisis, Mopar hemis, sat unwanted and could be had for $300.00. Will SUV's and Mini vans be a staple of the collector car hobby in 30 years? I was in Carlisle one year, in a diecast vendor's tent (gads...before I knew Skip!!) and a guy walks in looking for a die cast of an Aerostar. Most everybody in the tent busted a belly laughing...BUT... as the car hobby has illustrated, cars come into value about 30 to 40 years after production...so... a generation of young drivers may want to rekindle childhood memories by restoring a Caravan.

IMO..not likely...today's young drivers do not have the appreciateion for driving or its "right of passage". Cars are an expected thing, and a disposable commodity at that. There is no tinkering on your car, as we (I) had done with my first cars. Certainly no absolutes, as there are young adults with same passion as mine, but directed elsewhere (high rev tuners, drifting etc)

Steve

[EllisonCal]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

Yeah Steve, I bought two cars during the gas crisis of the '70s. A 1968 Buick GS400 in 1972 for $1000. and a couple years later a 1972 Toronado for $1700. Then gas prices were around $1.00/gallon but gas prices slowly declined for the next 15 years even as everything else was going up. By 1989 gas prices in South Carolina were less than $0.90/gallon.

This time, however, we have two huge countries developing into populations which want to give up their bicycles and become automobile owners and drivers. GM is happily surprised that the Escalades which aren't moving as fast here as they used to are now the new status symbols for the Chinese Yuppies. Buick Park Avenues (Holdens down under) and (Pontiac G8s here) are top sellers in mainland China. By the way, gasoline is subsidized in China so the cost is a reasonable $2.90 U.S. per gallon.

Cal

[Rosebud]

Re: Influence of Gas Prices

Lonestar is right (post 58); it takes several days to weeks to get the crude oil thru a refinery. The refinery does not raise the prices until the higher price crude has gone thru the refinery and shipped. There three ways gas stations are owned, some are company owned, some are independent, and some are franchised by the oil company. The independents most likely will raise the price with changes in crude prices; the franchisees are not supposed to but will also especially if there is an independent across the street. Company owned don’t until the refinery raises the price to them, and don’t lower until the refinery lowers them. Then the independent’s will also wait until the refinery lowers thier price, so they try to get a little extra profit (can’t blame them). Other things are the weak doller, shortage of refinering capacity. Not enough tankers to ship the crude even if OPEC upped production.